So You Think You Know Arlington's History
Everyone thinks they know Arlington's History, but these stories may be new to you.
Hall's Hill Segregation Wall
Along the rear property line of the white homes which bordered Hall's Hill, including the neighborhoods of Fostoria and Waycroft, residents constructed a seven foot tall cinderblock wall.
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Arlington's Role in the Birth of the Internet
The internet, a revolutionary force that has transformed the way we communicate, access information, and conduct business, had a humble beginning rooted in the research and development efforts of the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), located in Arlington,…
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Stratford Junior High School and Desegregation
Stratford Junior High School was built in 1950 during one of Arlington's most active periods of school construction following World War II. It was the first of four new junior high schools built to accommodate the rapid increase in student population. In the 1950's it also was at the…
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Deep Throat's Parking Garage
In a nondescript parking garage in Rosslyn, Mark Felt, second in command at the FBI, met Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward six times between October 1972 and November 1973 to discuss the Watergate scandal.
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Marcey Creek and Native American Archeology in Arlington
More than a dozen pre-history Native American sites have been found within Arlington County, eight along the shore of the Potomac River and three in the upper valley of Four Mile Run. They were all occupied at different times. The earliest traces of Native American sites in this area date from…
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Dead Man's Hallow, Crandal Mackey, and the Good Citizens League of Rosslyn
In the 1890's Rosslyn was well known for its gambling halls, saloons, and other establishments of ill-repute. Two race tracks provided thoroughbred racing throughout most of the year; one was on Alexander's Island, and the other, the St. Asaph's track, was located in what is now the…
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Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
In March 1780, King Louis XVI approved the “expédition particulière,” which sent French troops to the United States. The general in charge of the mission was Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau. The resulting 680-mile joint expedition led to the dramatic October 19, 1781, victory…
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Ball's Crossroads Skirmish
During the Civil War, the area near Ball's Crossroads and Upton Hill hosted tens of thousands of Union and Confederate troops. From June to October of 1861, Arlington's Four Mile Run witnessed several Civil War skirmishes. One of the largest occurred on the afternoon of August 27,…
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Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) was first proposed as an in-service, graduate-level training institute for State Department employees and others in the Foreign Service.
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One Island, Many Names
Today, the 80 acre island, strategically located between Rosslyn and Georgetown, serves as a national monument to President Theodore Roosevelt, but it has known many names over the years.
When Captain John Smith explored the Potomac in 1608, he included the island and nearby Native American…
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America’s First All-Women Swing Band Lived in Arlington
Its members took the nation by storm, fearlessly touring even as they faced discrimination, Jim Crow law, and sexism
In the first half of the 20th century, only a handful of women were able to make it as successful musicians. This precedent was upturned by the International Sweethearts of Rhythm – the first all-female, racially integrated swing band.
Its members took the nation by storm, fearlessly touring even…
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The Historic Febrey-Lothrop-Rouse Estate
The Febrey-Lothrop estate survived the Civil War, multiple owners, twentieth-century alterations, and its demolition, and still remains an important part of Arlington's history.
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Fire Station #8
Since 1918, the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Department has been protecting their community
Since 1918, the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Department has been protecting their community. Despite underfunding, outdated equipment, and prejudice, these firefighters have set a standard for generations to come.
In 1902, the Virginia Constitution was passed, and it became the norm for…
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John Boston - An Escape from Slavery, 1862
Early in the Civil War, fighting between Northern and Southern armies drove thousands of African-Americans to seek freedom and refuge behind Union lines. By 1862, their growing numbers forced the Federal government to address the problem of supporting the formerly enslaved and their emancipation…
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U.S. Army Testing of the Jeep
The War Department invited three companies, the American Bantam Company, Willys-Overland, and Ford to place bids on this general-purpose vehicle, later known as the 'Jeep'.
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Arlington and the KKK
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) espoused a deep racism, a fascination with mystical regalia, and a willingness to use violence to silence its opponents. It was also anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic as strongly as it affirmed racism. The “secret” society had 3 million members during its…
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The W&OD Trail
The Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD), originally known as the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad, has been an essential transportation route since the 1850s.
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Eddie Foster
Edward Cunningham Foster was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 to 1923. He played for the New York Highlanders, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Browns. Foster was born on February 13, 1887, and died on January 15, 1937.
Foster spent most of his…
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Sojourner Truth
Born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree (sometimes written as Bomfree) in 1797, Truth was enslaved in Dutch-speaking Ulster County, New York, where she was bought and sold four times throughout her life. In 1827, she escaped with her daughter, Sophia, after her master failed to uphold the recently…
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107th USCT at Fort Corcoran
The 107th United States Colored Troops (USCT) in Arlington is an often overlooked story. This regiment of African American soldiers was stationed in Fort Ethan Allen and Fort Corcoran during the last days of the American Civil War. The photographs of the regiment in Arlington are some of the most…
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Rudolph Wendelin and Smokey Bear
Beginning in 1944, Wendelin became the full-time artist for the Smokey Bear campaign. He was considered Smokey Bear's "caretaker" until his retirement in 1973.
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Julia Ward Howe and the Battle Hymn of the Republic
On November 17, 1861, Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist and poet, traveled from Washington to Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia, to see a review of Union troops. Returning to her hotel that evening, she rode by Upton's Hill, saw hundreds of campfires, and heard soldiers singing a popular tune,…
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